Resident doctors declare indefinite strike in FCT over unmet demands

Healthcare services in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are expected to suffer major disruption as resident doctors have announced the commencement of an indefinite strike effective Monday.

The doctors, under their union, explained that the decision became inevitable following the persistent failure of relevant authorities to address their longstanding grievances.

Although details of the demands were not fully outlined in the announcement, the association stressed that issues relating to welfare, poor working conditions, and the overall state of healthcare delivery in the FCT had been consistently ignored despite repeated appeals and warnings.

“The Association of Resident Doctors, FCTA, at its Emergency General Meeting held on 14th September 2025, resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action with effect from 8:00 am, Monday, 15th September 2025,” the association said in a statement by the General Secretary, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), FCTA, Agbor Affiong.

“This action follows the failure of Management to address any of our legitimate demands, even after a one-week warning strike.”

The doctors vowed to continue the action “until government and management show genuine commitment to the welfare of doctors and the health of FCT residents,” the late Sunday statement read.

Last week, the ARD-FCTA embarked on a seven-day warning strike to press home its demands for better working conditions and the non-payment of entitlements.

The doctors also expressed concern over a lack of manpower, poor welfare, among others.

According to them, the development was taking its toll on the physicians.

ARD-FCTA threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if “meaningful dialogue” is not held within days to address their grievances.

“There will be a reassessment by the Congress, and hopefully, the dialogue is going to be meaningful. And if it’s not meaningful, then the Congress will not have a choice but to impose an indefinite strike,” the group’s chairman, George Ebong, said during last Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show, The Morning Brief.

Lamenting the lack of manpower, he said, the FCT has 14 district and general hospitals. However, the shortage of doctors and specialists has left one doctor handling dozens of patients.

“We’re going to need as much as 200 or thereabouts [doctors]. We don’t even have anything close to that,” Ebong said.

“We have a doctor seeing more than 30 patients, 40 patients. We have a doctor doing up to 10 caesarean sections,” he said. “We have doctors who are on antidepressants. We have doctors who are on anti-hypertensives.”